TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 21, 2010
COMMITTEE ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Mr. Richard Lanyon, Executive Director
Title
Request for approval to pursue the design of streambank stabilization projects identified under the completed Detailed Watershed Plans and to be funded under the District’s Stormwater Management Fund (As Revised)
Body
Dear Sir:
Pursuant to the authority for regional stormwater management granted to the District by the Illinois General Assembly under Public Act 93-1049, the District initiated development of the Detailed Watershed Plans (DWPs) to conceptually identify potential capital projects that would address regional stormwater related problems in the six major watersheds in Cook County. DWPs have been completed for the Calumet-Sag Channel, Little Calumet River, and Upper Salt Creek watersheds. The recommended methodology for prioritization of capital projects to be funded under the Stormwater Management Capital Improvement Program (CIP) was presented to the Board of Commissioners on September 3, 2009.
Each potential capital project arising from the completed DWPs has been categorized as either streambank stabilization or flood control based on its primary objective. In keeping with the methodology for project prioritization presented at the September 3, 2009 Board meeting, it is recommended that streambank stabilization projects which address public safety and/or protect structures in imminent danger of failure due to active erosion be given the highest priority for funding under the CIP. A total of six such streambank stabilization projects, all of which are aimed at protecting infrastructure in imminent danger, were identified in the DWPs already completed for the Calumet-Sag Channel and Little Calumet River watersheds; there were no streambank stabilization projects identified for the Upper Salt Creek watershed.
The six projects are listed below; further details for each project are provided in the attached document.
Watershed DWP Project ID Municipalities Location
Calumet-Sag Channel TICR-8 Orland Park Tinley Creek between
160th St. and 86th Ave.
Calumet-Sag Channel TICR-7 Orland Park Tinley Creek between
Oriole Ct. and 151st St.
Little Calumet River MTCR-G2 Tinley Park Midlothian Creek at Oak
Park Ave. and Hickory St.
Calumet-Sag Channel MEDT-1 Chicago Ridge Melvina Ditch between 95th
Oak Lawn St. and 99th St.
Calumet-Sag Channel OLCR-3 Oak Lawn Oak Lawn Creek between
Mayfield and Central Ave.
Little Calumet River CUDD-G3 Markham Calumet Union Drainage
Ditch from Sunset to Central
Park Ave.
The initial step in pursuing these projects will involve selecting engineering consulting firms and entering into agreements with them to provide preliminary engineering services. The preliminary services will include a detailed review of assumptions made with respect to these projects in the DWP to verify their viability and, for viable projects, to define a detailed scope of work for the engineering services necessary for final design of the project. Recommendations to and decisions by the Board of Commissioners with respect to actual construction of any project will not be made until both the final design and final estimates have been completed.
It is therefore requested that the Executive Director recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it approve this request to pursue the design of streambank stabilization projects identified under the completed Detailed Watershed Plans to be funded under the District’s Stormwater Management Fund.
Requested, Joseph P. Sobanski, Director of Engineering, WSS:JPM
Recommended, Richard Lanyon, Executive Director
Respectfully Submitted, Debra Shore, Chairman Committee on Stormwater Management
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for January 21, 2010
Attachment